US 4,138,892 A · Electrically heated mold for making test specimens of concrete

Abstract

An electrically heated mold for making test specimens of concrete. The mold has two substantially identical mold halves pivotally mounted to each other and electric heating units selectively operated in response to the temperature variations in the concrete of the main structure. Each mold half has a heat transferring wall member which has a mold surface and an outer surface against which one of the heating units is placed. The mold is insulated and has a number of additional features designed to facilitate manufacture and operation of the mold as well as to increase its working life. These features include aligning members for aligning the halves of the mold as they close, two symmetrically positioned securing members that can be manipulated simultaneously by one person, an arrangement for preventing material from passing between the mold halves as they open in order to protect the insulation adjacent that area, an arrangement for initially prying the mold halves apart, and a stripping shoe for removing any molded test specimen that becomes stuck to one of the mold halves. The stripping shoe removes the molded test specimen without damaging the boundary areas and edges necessary for proper testing of the specimen.

Claims34

Dependent claims

A mold for making test specimens, said mold comprising:

two substantially identical mold members, each of said mold members having first and second end portions spaced from each other and a recessed mold surface with a first portion extending between said first and second end portions, each of said first portions of said mold surfaces having two substantially parallel edges extending in a direction between said first and second end portions of the respective mold member and defining boundaries of said first portion of each mold surface, said mold surface of each mold member further having a second portion connected to said first portion of said mold surface adjacent said first end portion of each mold member, each of said second portions of said mold surfaces having an edge extending between said two edges of the first portion of each respective mold surface and defining a boundary of said second portion of each mold surface,
means operably connected to each of said first end portions of said mold members for pivotally mounting said mold members to each other about a pivotal axis, said mold members being movable about said pivotal axis between a predetermined open position and a closed position, said edges of said first portion of the mold surface of one mold member and said edge of said second portion of the mold surface of said one mold member abutting the corresponding edges of the other mold member in said closed position to define an open-ended shape, and,
means for preventing movement of said mold members about said pivotal axis beyond said predetermined open position, said preventing means including a first pair of substantially identical stop members, each of said stop members being positioned on the first end portion of each respective mold member, said stop members being spaced from said pivotal axis and abutting each other at a first predetermined location as said mold members are moved about said pivotal axis away from said closed position to define said predetermined open position of said mold members.

In a mold for making test specimens having two substantially identical mold members with recessed mold surfaces therein, said mold members being pivotally mounted to each other for movement between an open position and a closed position in which said mold members abut each other with the recessed mold surfaces forming an open-ended shape about an axis, each of said mold members further including at least two substantially planar flanges extending outwardly of each mold surface on opposite sides thereof, said flanges on one mold member abutting the corresponding flanges on the other mold member when said mold members are in the closed position, the improvement including:

means operably connectable between abutting flanges of the mold members for selectively securing said abutting flanges together, said securing means including two substantially identical securing members and means for mounting each of said securing members to one of each pair of abutting flanges, each of said two securing members being mounted to a different mold member at approximately 180.degree. from the other about the axis of said open-ended shape formed by said mold members in said closed position whereby said mold members can be easily and quickly secured to each other by simultaneous manipulation of each of said securing means.

In a mold for making test specimens having two mold members with recessed mold surfaces therein, said mold members being pivotally mounted to each other for movement between an open position and a closed position in which said mold members abut each other with the recessed mold surfaces forming an open-ended shape, each of said mold members including a first member, each of said first members having an edge and a substantially planar surface, said edge and said surface being substantially parallel, said first members of the mold members abutting each other along said edges when said mold members are in said closed position with said surfaces of said first members forming a substantially continuous planar surface, the improvement including:

means for aligning said mold members as said mold members are moved toward a closed position, said aligning means including a male member, means to attach said male member adjacent the surface of one of said first members of said mold members with a portion of said male member protruding beyond said edge of said one first member, and, an open-sided female member positioned adjacent the surface of the other first member and recessed in said surface, said female member extending away from the edge of the other first member in a first direction, said open side of said female member extending substantially in said first direction, said female member substantially conforming to the shape of said male member for receiving said male member to align said mold members as said mold members are moved toward said closed position.

A mold for making test specimens, said mold comprising:

two mold members, each of said mold members having a recessed mold surface therein, means for pivotally mounting said mold members to each other for movement about a pivotal axis between an open position and a closed position, each of said mold surfaces having a first portion extending outwardly of said pivotal axis, each of said first portions having an edge spaced from and substantially parallel to said pivotal axis, said edges being substantially co-extensive and extending along said pivotal axis for a first fixed distance, said edges abutting each other when said mold members are in said closed position and being spaced from each other when said mold members are away from said closed position, said pivot means having a first portion and a second portion, said first and second portions being spaced from each other along said pivotal axis on either side beyond said first fixed distance of said edges, and,
means for substantially preventing passage of material between said edges of said mold surfaces as said mold members are moved away from said closed position.

An electrically heated mold for making test specimens of a material, said mold comprising:

two mold members, each of said mold members having a thin, heat transferring wall member with a mold surface and a second surface, means operably connected to said mold members for pivotally mounting said mold members to each other for movement about a pivotal axis, each of said wall members having at least two edges defining at least two boundaries of each respective mold surface, said mold members being movable about said pivotal axis between an open position and a closed position in which at least two edges of each mold surface abut two edges of the other mold surface to form a mold shape between said mold surfaces for receiving the material from which a test specimen is to be made, said mold surfaces forming a shape with one open end when said mold members are in said closed position, and,
electrical heating means, said electrical heating means having a heating unit substantially conforming to the shape of each of said second surfaces of said wall members for heating said thin, heat transferring wall members, said electrically heated mold further including insulating material positioned about said mold surfaces, said insulating material having a rigid portion substantially surrounding all of said mold surfaces and a flexible, compressible portion positioned adjacent said pivot means for accommodating the pivotal movement of said mold members.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Electrically heated mold for making test specimens of concrete

Life of this patent

Electrically heated mold for making test specimens of concrete

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims34